Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
Jack
“Think he’s going to let us go today?”
Asia sighed, but didn’t answer, and that was answer enough.
“I think he will,” I said.
She shifted, then looked over at me.
“Why?”
I shrugged as I pulled on my T-shirt.
“That whole thing yesterday was just a power play. Hayes wanted me to know who was in charge. Take me down a peg for embarrassing his baby boy.”
“You think this was all about you, huh?” Asia said, a little smile playing on her lips.
“I know you and him have history, but…”
“Yeah. A juvenile delinquent is nothing compared to a super soldier,” she said.
There was no sting to the words, only a soft smile playing on her lips, but I knew what she was getting at.
“Oh, don’t worry. He’s plenty afraid of you,” I said.
She looked incredulous, then shifted, the light filtering through the curtains, casting her in an ethereal glow.
Looking at her at that moment, it was almost possible to forget that the world was over.
Being with her at this moment, the night before, was perfect.
Comfortable.
I felt…content.
And it took me a while to even pinpoint the word.
It wasn’t something I was familiar with.
And it reminded me of how dangerous she was.
I needed to put distance between us.
Asia noticed the shift.
She noticed everything.
But she didn’t comment on it.
“Yeah. You don’t cower to him. And knowing you like I do, you probably never did. Guys like Hayes can’t handle that shit,” I said.
I stood, sticking my foot in my boots.
“But I guess we better go see what’s what?” I said.
“Do you think we should try to get anything? There’s stuff at the farm, but getting what we can won’t hurt,” she said.
“I just want to be out of here,” I responded.
She looked like she wanted to argue, but didn’t.
We dressed. And though I disliked the distance I felt between us now, I knew it was inevitable, and also important.
“I hope you had a restful night,” Christopher said.
He stood in front of the bed and breakfast.
I didn’t have proof, but it wouldn’t surprise me to learn he had been there all night.
He looked at Asia, his gaze lingering.
It put me on edge. And for all the wrong reasons.
I still hadn’t quite decided what to make of Christopher, but one thing was sure. I fucking hated the guy, and couldn’t wait till I was away from him, or better yet, he was in the fucking ground.
“Good morning, Christopher,” Asia said.
Her voice was one I didn’t recognize, and one I didn’t like.
Christopher looked at me, expectantly.
I looked back at him and didn’t say a word.
“You guys hungry? You can walk over to the diner and have some breakfast,” he said.
“Okay—”
“We’re ready to get out of here,” I said, cutting off Asia.
“I’ll bet,” Christopher said, smiling. “But come have a meal. It’s all free,” he said.
“Okay,” Asia said, looking at me warily.
I clenched my teeth, but didn’t say anything. Instead, I followed Asia, my gaze squarely on Christopher.
“So, you became some hot shot lawyer in Atlanta,” he said.
“I wouldn’t say I was a hot shot,” Asia responded. Her voice was flat. Professional.
“Still. That’s pretty cool,” he said. “Dad says you just get criminals off, but I think it’s noble.” Asia looked at him skeptically.
“You do?”
He nodded, his dark brown hair flopping against his forehead. “Yeah. Every system needs balance. You are a counterweight against guys like my father.”
“And what kind of guy is your father?” I interjected.
Christopher smiled, his brow furrowed. “Direct, but simplistic. Very much a black and white thinker,” Christopher said.
“You’re different?” I asked.
He shrugged, paying no mind to the question in my voice. “I’d like to think so, but maybe I’m not the one to judge. Way I see it, you need balance, you need consensus. We’re all in this together. That was true before, and even more true now.”
“That’s interesting to hear you say that, Chris,” Asia said. She smiled quickly. “Sorry, Christopher.”
“Don’t be. It doesn’t matter that Dad says it’s not respectable for an adult. My mom always called me that.” Hayes said.
“Well, I’ll call you Chris then,” she said, smiling at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
I knew what she was doing, and I fucking hated it.
“No. Better stick to Christopher and avoid those unnecessary conversations.”
“How far away is the diner?” I said. I reached for Asia and settled my hand on her back. Told myself I did it because she needed the contact.
“Right up here,” Christopher responded.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Would it matter if we did?” I said before Asia could respond.
Christopher just smiled like I was the most amusing thing ever.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to intrude,” he said, hands raised in an aw-shucks manner that made me want to bury a knife in the base of his skull.
“Whatever. But let’s go,” I said.
Asia didn’t look at me, but she didn’t have to. Her annoyance was clear.
I gazed at the side of her face, daring her to look at me. Probably for the best that she didn’t.
“We slaughtered one of the hogs, so there’s bacon today,” Christopher said.
“Great,” Asia responded.
“Eggs are powdered, though. Try to balance it out, but we’ll see how it goes,” Christopher said.
We sat, and I didn’t taste the food as I ate it. With every second that passed, that instinct that told me to move blared louder and louder.
“Thank you for the hospitality, Christopher,” Asia said.
She sounded sincere, and as I studied her face, I didn’t see anything that made me think she wasn’t. Still, there was discomfort in her expression, and that edge was even more intense.
“You’re part of this community, Asia. This is what we do for each other,” he said.
“I appreciate that,” she said. “Can we go now?” I asked.
“I believe my father wanted to see you first,” Christopher said.
I clenched my teeth, trying to keep my temper in check, but I knew Christopher was playing games. He could have said that before, but instead he wasted our time with his aw-shucks routine.
“Let’s go. He’s at the sheriff’s office,” Christopher said.
Asia slid a glance at me, and some of the tension in my gut loosened. She wasn’t enjoying this any more than I was.
“Is there some kind of meeting?” Asia asked.
The people were assembled outside of the Sheriff’s Department, more than there had been yesterday. A quick estimate told me 250, maybe 300 people were there.
“Well, since… everything, Dad says it’s important that everyone stay in touch, keep on top of things, so we sometimes gather.”
“Okay?” Asia said.
“Christopher,” Hayes said from somewhere in the crowd, “why don’t you bring them over here?”
I didn’t wait for Christopher’s direction. Instead, I walked toward the voice.
The crowd was quiet, and that was alarming. Made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
I reached for my waistband, realizing that I didn’t have the shotgun. Not that it would have done me much good here, not with numbers like this, but still. I felt a fleeting regret at my empty hands.
Asia stood next to me, posture erect, nothing about her giving her emotions away.
Good.
We approached, and the sheriff was there, flanked by his deputies.
“I hope you have again enjoyed this town’s hospitality, Asia,” Sheriff Hayes said.
“Thank you, Sheriff Hayes,” Asia said. A fuck you if I had ever heard one, and she followed it up with a soft smile. One that I knew was total bullshit.
If Hayes noticed, he didn’t care or was too preoccupied.
“Before you folks head out, I wanted you to stay for the town meeting,” he said.
“Why?” I asked.
“You’re part of this community, so it’s important you understand how things work here,” Hayes said.
I noticed Asia was close to me, and glanced at her, seeing that her expression was still stoic, but I still felt the tension rising.
“Bring her out,” Hayes said.
I didn’t know who he was talking to, but looked toward the door of the sheriff’s department, which opened.
One of his deputies, still wearing his long sleeve button-down brown shirt even though the temperature was close to eighty degrees this early in the morning, approached.
Next to him was the girl from yesterday.
“What are you—”
I reached for Asia’s hand, squeezing it.
“Just wait one second, please, Asia. Got some business to handle.”
“I’m sorry, Sheriff,” the girl said.
Her face was red, splotchy, crusted with dry tears.
“I know you are, darling,” the sheriff said.
He patted her shoulder, his face regretful.
And in the next breath, his expression turned hard.
“But how much more sorry would you have been if things had gone differently?”
“I thought…I was in…I was scared…I didn’t know…that…”
“I know. You didn’t know what to do. You were scared. You weren’t thinking. And you put us all in danger.”
“I—I didn’t—”
“She was just afraid, Sheriff Hayes,” Asia said.
I squeezed her hand again, but she didn’t look at me.
But she squeezed back. Just once. But it was enough.
“I know she was afraid, Asia,” the sheriff said, turning his gaze on her. “But that doesn’t change what she did.”
“Well, she’s spent the night in jail. I’m sure she’s learned her lesson. Haven’t you?” Asia said, looking at the girl.
She nodded frantically.
“Yes, sir. That won’t happen again.”
“I know it won’t,” Hayes said, and the coldness I saw in his eyes brought a chill that had nothing to do with temperature.
“Go on. You know what happens now,” the sheriff said.
“Oh no…not that…I’m sorry!” the girl said.
She was near hysterics now, and two of the sheriff’s deputies grabbed one of her elbows and led her through the crowd.
The crowd that was still deathly silent, something that seemed appropriate now.
The crowd spread wordlessly, letting the deputies lead the girl—dragging her, really—down the stairs of the sheriff’s department and off the sidewalk.
I noticed another walk in, a zombie next to it.
It had a thick collar around its neck, and the deputy was leading it.
My stomach dropped as I watched what was unfolding.
“You can’t—”
“Be quiet, Asia,” I said.
She looked at me, eyes pleading, but I just shook my head.
There was nothing she could do. There was nothing any of us could do.
“We can’t just…”
“Quiet,” I said.
She looked at me, eyes pleading, but I said nothing. I just looked at her, hoping she would understand.
“Don’t turn away,” I whispered.
She lowered her gaze, and I threw my arm around her shoulder, pulling her body into mine.
“Don’t show them any weakness,” I said.
Her eyes flew open wide, her expression stricken, but she watched.
Watched as the sobbing girl was dragged forward.
Watched as the deputy let the zombie go.
She was too terrified to run, and for a shambling dead person, the zombie moved with extraordinary speed.
No, it wasn’t speed—it was determination.
The zombie moved with determination and captured the girl.
I could hear its teeth bury themselves into her neck.
Heard the gurgle of blood. Heard her scream.
And scream.
And scream until she couldn’t anymore.
And then there was quiet.
Silence that was only marred by the gnashing of teeth.
“I think the point’s been made,” Hayes said.
He looked at Asia, who was stricken, but she didn’t let tears fall.
I could have kissed her when she met Hayes’s eyes.
“Welcome home.”